Instinctive pressure release for wringers



April 23, 1968 R. B. SHERER INSTINCTIVE PRESSURE RELEASE FOR WRINGERS Filed Feb. 15, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR ,ab er/ Bruce =96 er er BY M ATTORNEYS INSTINC'I'IVE PRESSURE RELEASE FOR WRINGERS Filed Feb. 13 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Babe/f Brace fierek ATTORNEYS April 23, 1968 R. B. SHERER 3,379,039

INSTINCTIVE PRESSURE RELEASE FOR WRINGERS Filed Feb'. 15, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 I I 'INVENTOR ATTS RNEYS April 23, 1968 Filed Feb. 15,

R. B. SHERER 3,379,039

INSTINCTIVE PRESSURE RELEASE FOR WRINGERS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 O 46 x M INVENTOR ,abar'f Bruce S/Yerer Y 4114M wgzwq ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofice Patented Apr. 23, 1958 3,379,039 INSTINCTIVE PRESSURE RELEASE FOR WRINGERS Robert Bruce Sher-er, St. Joseph, Mich, assignor to Whirlpool Corporation, Benton Harbor, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Feb. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 527,617 Claims. (Cl. 68-256) ABSTRACT UP THE DISQLOSURE An instinctive wringer roll pressure release mechanism for a clothes wringer which will enable a person who has inadvertently caught a part of his body or apparel between the wringer rolls to release the wringer roll pressure by an instinctive reflex movement. This movement will exert a push or pull force which pivots the wringer about a horizontally positioned pin thereby initiating release of wringer roll pressure.

This invention or discovery relates to improvements in an instinctive pressure release for wringers, and more particularly to a wringer embodying a pair of rolls pressurized toward each other and between which wet articles may be passed to expel the liquid therefrom, such wringer being equipped with means to release the pressure between the rolls upon an instinctive movement of the operator or another who may have inadvertently caught a part of their body or apparel between the rolls, such wringer being highly desirable for use with household washing machines as well as other laundry and drying equipment, as will be apparent to one skilled in the art.

In the past, various types of instinctive release mechanisms have been associated with wringers. In some instances the wringer along with its supporting post pivoted in a vertical plane about the lower end of the post, and the wringer and post were also elevated during such pivotal movement. In other instances, a wringer would pivot about a point between the rolls and the wringer gear head. With this arrangement the sensitivity of the pivotal coupling considerably lessened when the torque load was rather high. Still other previously known arrangements were so constructed that the force necessary to pivot the wringer and release roll pressure varied along the length of the rolls, much more force being required adjacent the pivot point than elsewhere on the wringer structure. Consequently, formerly known arrangements for instinctive re lease of roll pressure by pivoting the wringer through a vertical plane were not as satisfactorily safe as is desired, and a child would still be endangered, particularly if the child caught a hand between the rolls and dropped to the floor. In such event, roll pressure might or might not be released dependent upon the force the child instinctively applied.

With the foregoing in mind, it is an important object of the instant invention to provide a wringer with instinctive release mechanism responsive to a predetermined amount of push or pull force to pivot the wringer in a vertical plane, such force being applicable from any normal operating position as well as obliquely downwardly.

Another important object of this invention is to provide a wringer pivotal through a vertical plane and equipped with instinctive pressure release mechanism, the force to pivot the wringer and effect pressure release being a constant force at any point along the rolls. Because of the uniformity of the necessary force to release pressure, a single conventional release bar mounted centrally above the rolls might be employed with the instant wringer, rather than the well-known conventional pair of opposed side release bars.

It is also a feature of this invention to provide a wringer equipped with instinctive pressure release mechanism, and wherein the entire wringer and wringer gear case pivot as a unit about the upper end of the tubular supporting post adjacent the top of the drive shaft therein, and coupling flexibility at the pivot point is thereby preserved to a much greater degree than heretofore.

Still another desideratum of this invention is the provision of a wringer equipped with instinctive pressure release means, the wringer being pivotal through a vertical plane to activate the release means, and the arrangement being such that the horizontal and obliquely downward forces necessary to pivot the wringer are of the same value.

Still another object of this invention resides in the provision of a wringer equipped with instinctive pressure release mechanism, the wringer being pivotal in a vertical plane to actuate the release mechanism, and the norm-a1 vertical position of the wringer being maintained by springloaded, self-centering means bearing on opposite sides of the wringer gear head.

While some of the more salient features, characteristics and advantages of the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will become apparent from the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a wringer mounted on a supporting post and embodying principles of this invention, some parts being omitted;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the structure of FIGURE 1, also with parts omitted;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view of the upper right-hand portion of FIGURE 1, with parts omitted to disclose portions of the release mechanism;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary enlargement in elevation of the lower right-hand portion of FIGURE 1 with parts omitted to better disclose portions of the release mechamsm;

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary end elevational view from the right-hand side of the structure of FIGURES 3 and 4, with parts omitted to better disclose the release mechanism; and

FIGURE 6 is a diagrammatic illustration of the equalization of forces necessary to pivot the wringer and actuate the release mechanism.

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention is shown associated with a wringer embodying a frame, generally indciated by numeral 1, which may be of onepiece construction or fabricated as deemed meet, and which comprises a bottom channel 2 having a central drain opening therein defined by a neck 3, and upstanding outboard and inboard end stiles, 4 and 5 respectively. Disposed within the frame are upper and lower rolls 6 and 7 respectively mounted on shafts 8 and 9 respectively, which shafts project beyond the ends of the rolls and are seated in suitable bearings. Pressure is maintained upon the rolls during operation by means of a pair of spring cages 10 and 10a carried by the end stiles 4 and 5 respectively. Each spring cage carries a pair of springs which act upon the upper roll bearings, the adjacent end of the shaft 8 extending into the bearing between the springs. The springs thus force the upper roll downwardly into pressure contact with the lower roll, the shaft ends of which are associated with stationary bearings. The structure and actuation of the spring cages as well as a suitable frame structure is more fully set forth and described in George 0. Conlee U.S. Letters Patent No. 3,216,228, issued Nov. 9, 1965.

Pressure is applied to the rolls by means of an overcenter toggle linkage arrangement mounted on the underside of the bottom channel 2 of the frame, and partially on the end stiles 4 and 5. Briefly, this linkage, as best seen in FIGURE 2, comprises a rotating plate or lever 11 having an arm 13 projecting laterally therefrom, A second rotating plate 11a overlies plate 11 and has an arm 12 projecting laterally therefrom. Both plates are apertured to receive the drain neck 3 therein and rotate or oscillate around that drain neck, being held in place by a cross bolt 14 or in an equivalent manner. Plate 11a has downwardly turned tab 67 which cooperates with the edge 68 of plate 11 in a manner to be described hereinafter. A substantially L-shaped link 15 is pivoted to one side of the central portion of the rotary plate 11 as indicated at 16. The other end of this lever 15 is pivoted as at 17 to the central point of the crossarm 18 of a U-shaped pressure lever also including side wings or arms 19 and 20 which are upstanding and straddle the adjacent end stile and associated outboard spring cage 10. This pressure lever is pivoted to the end stile structure by means of a through bolt 21. Each of the arms 19 and 20 is provided with an outwardly projecting lug 22 overlying an ear 23 projecting from a spring slide within the cage 10. Accordingly, pressure is applied to the rolls when the U-shaped pressure applying lever is pivoted and forces the spring slide downwardly upon a counterclockwise oscillation of the plate lever 11, as the parts are viewed in FIGURE 2. In the instance of FIGURES 1 and 2, the toggle linkage is shown in pressure applying position.

Another L-shaped link 24, identical with the link 15, but oppositely disposed, is pivoted as at 25 to the rotary lever 11 at a point diametrally opposite the pivot point 16 for the link 15, and at the other end thereof this lever is pivoted at 26 to the central point of the lower crossarm 27 of another U-shaped pressure lever, the same as previously described, but which acts upon the springs in the inboard cage 10a. Of course, both U-shaped levers are actuated in unison to apply pressure to the rolls.

As stated above, the toggle linkage is shown in FIG- URES 1 and 2 in pressure applying position. The toggle mechanism is initially brought into pressure applying position by manually pulling upon a suitable tension member 28, seen in FIGURE 2. This member is pulled laterally toward the wringer head and, by its connection to the projection 13 on the rotary plate lever 11, turns that plate lever counterclockwise to the overcenter position seen in FIGURE 2, wherein the pivot points 16 and 25 are disposed on opposite sides of an imaginary straight line between the pivot points 17 and 26. Should the plate 11a rotate clockwise (as seen in FIGURE 2), tab 67 through its cooperation with edge 68 will cause plate 11 to also rotate clockwise to an extent sufiicient to bring each of the pivot points 16 and 25 to the opposite sides of the imaginary line thereby causing complete pressure release. Upon pressure release, it will be noted that the crossarm 18 will be moved toward the end stile 4, and the crossarm 27 on the other pressure lever will be moved toward the end stile 5.

With the instant invention, pressure on the rolls may be released by an instinctive movement of the operator by way of a rod 33 connected to the arm 12 of the rotary lever 11a as indicated at 34, and a pull on the rod 33 toward the head of the wringer or to the right as viewed in FIGURES 1 and 2, will cause clockwise motion of the rotary lever 11a to release the toggle linkage as previously explained. The instinctive release mechanism embodied in this invention is associated or mounted upon the wringer gear head 35 and the neck 36 secured thereto and depending therefrom, and also parts are connected to a supporting head 37 on the wringer supporting post 38. As is well known in this art the wringer gear head 35 contains the usual forward and reverse drive gearing by means of which the lower wringer roll is driven, power being transmitted from a drive shaft extending through the hollow supporting post 38 from a drive motor usually located at a lower part of the washing machine with which the wringer may be associated. While in FIGURES l and 2 there is a partial disclosure of a conventional index pin assembly 39 and a lever 40 movable when the toggle mechanism is actuated to dcclutch the lower roll and stop the rolls from rotating when pressure is released, the further description herein will be confined to that portion of the mechanism embodied in this invention whereby instinctive pressure release is accomplished.

The wringer, its gear head and the neck depending therefrom are all rigidly connected together to pivot as a unit about opposed pivot studs 41 and 42 carried in supports 43 and 44, respectively, on the post head 37. These pivot studs define a pivot point or imaginary pivot line, indicated at 45 in the diagrammatic showing of FIGURE 6, which parallels the axes of the wringer rolls and which, as shown in FIGURE 6 is in the same vertical plane as the wringer roll axes. This arrangement provides several distinct advantages in the instant invention.

Among these advantages is the fact that the wringer may be pivoted about the members 41 and 42 from any normal operating position, even from a point above a horizontal plane through the nip of the rolls to as nearly a downward pull as the wringer drainboards will permit. Also, the push or pull force required to pivot the wringer is the same throughout the length of the rolls, no more or less force being required at the outboard ends of the rolls than at the inboard ends. In addition, it will be noted that the pivot line 45 is adjacent the head of the drive shaft in the supporting post 38, and since that shaft speed is greater than the roll speed the torque is less, and coupling flexibility is not adversely affected by the load on the wringer,

It should also be noted that with the wringer constructed as shown in the drawings, the same identical amount of force will pivot the wringer whether that force is applied horizontally or in a downward direction. This is clear from the diagrammatic showing in FIGURE 6, wherein the wringer drainboards are indicated at 46 and 47. The arrow F represents the force necessary to pivot the wringer when the force is applied horizontally. The arrow F1 represents the force that will pivot the wringer when applied as near downwardly as permitted by the drainboard. These forces F and F1 are equal because the moment arms M and M1 are equal in length. In order words, the pivot line 45 is located the same distance below the nip of the rolls as it is inwardly from the outside edge of either drainboard. The great advantage in this arrangement resides in the fact that should a child accidentally get its hand between the rolls and fall to the floor, the weight of the child would be more than sufficient to pivot the ringer and release roll pressure.

The mechanism by which roll pressure is automatically released upon an instinctive movement of one having a part of the body or his apparel caught bet-ween the rolls is simple in construction, and positive in action. A release lever 48 is intermediately pivoted at 49 to the top of the aforesaid support 44 on the post head 37. As best seen in FIGURES 2 and 3 one end of the release lever is connected to the aforesaid pressure release rod 33 as indicated at 50. As seen in FIGURE 4 the rod 33 is provided with an elbow 51 above the connection point 50 and a straight section of the rod extends between the elbow and the connection point. The opposite end of the release lever 48 is connected to one end of a spring 52, the other end of which is connected to the adjacent U-shaped pressure applying link adjacent the crossarm 27 thereof as indicated at 53. This spring 52 is of sufficient strength to release the toggle mechanism by way of the lever 48 and the rod 33.

During operation of the wringer the spring 52 is held under tension and restrained from acting by means of a latch rod 54 pivoted as at 55 to the end stile 5 of the wringer frame, and provided on its outer end with a bent portion functioning as a latch 56, this latch rod being biased by a spring 57 to a position where the latch 56 engages the rod 33 below the elbow 51, as seen clearly in FIGURES 3 and 4. The spring 57 is provided with a predetermined spring constant depending upon the desired amount of torque necessary to pivot the wringer and release roll pressure.

Means are provided in association with the spring 57 to maintain the wringer steady in operating position and also release the latch 56 when the wringer is pivoted. These means include an elongated transversely disposed lever 58 pivoted adjacent an end thereof to a part of the post head as at 59. The end of the lever adjacent the pivot point 59 extends upwardly in the form of an abutment arm 60 to bear against the wringer gear head as seen in FIGURE 5. The opposite end of the lever is formed as an offset extension 61 underlying the aforesaid latch rod 54 which bears against the upper edge of the extension 61 by virt-ue of the spring 57 and is thus held with the abutment 60 in contact with the gear head 35.

Intermediately thereof the lever 58 is provided with a laterally extending lug 62 overlying one end of a bell crank -lever 63 pivoted adjacent its elbow as indicated at 64. At one end thereof this bell crank lever carries an abutment 65 for engagement with the side of the wringer gear head opposite the aforesaid abutment 60 as seen in FIGURE 5. With this arrangement, the lug 62 presses downwardly on one end of the lever 63 by virtue of the pull of the spring 57 and maintains the abutment end 65 of that lever in contact with the wringer gear head.

With the parts in pressure sustaining position, as illustrated in the drawings, an instinctive pivoting of the wringer to the right as seen in FIGURE 5 with a force greater than the strength of the spring 57 will pivot the elongated lever 58 and the extended end 61 thereof will elevate the latch rod 54 until the latch 56 passes above the elbow 51 of the pressure release rod 33. When that occurs the spring 52 is free to pivot the lever 48 and exert a pull upon the rod 33 sufficient to rotate the toggle linkage past its overcenter position and thus release pressure on the rolls. Should the instinctive movement result in a pivoting of the wringer to the left as seen in FIGURE 5, the bell crank lever 63 will be pivoted and the end thereof underlying the lug 62 will raise extension 61 of the lever 58 and produce the same result.

When it is desired to reset pressure on the wringer rolls, it is a simple expedient for the operator to laterally pull the tension element 28 and rotate the toggle mechanism counterclockwise to the position seen in FIGURE 2. During this operation the spring 52 will again be placed under tension and the latch 56 will, because of the pull of the spring 57, drop into latching position below the elbow 51 on the release rod 33. This latching operation is facilitated by a spring 66, which is of less strength than spring 52, having a first end attached to the bottom channel 2 and a second, opposite end affixed to the outer end 30 of arm 12. Thus, whenever the toggle linkage is in a released condition such that spring 52 is relaxed, spring 66 acts to rotate the arm 12 counterclockwise, as seen in FIGURE 2, thereby moving the elbow 51 to the left of latch 56. This prepositioning of elbow 51 of rod 33 insures that during the latching operation latch 56 can move freely to its latched position without interfering with rod 33.

Although a force of sufiicient magnitude on any portion of the wringer will cause release of pressure on the rolls, a specific pressure release bar 29 may be provided for use in normal operation. As seen in FIGURE 1, release bar 29 is disposed centrally over the upper wringer roll 6 and is rigidly attached by side arms 31 and 32 to end stiles 4 and 5, respectively. It will be readily understood that a push or a pull on the release bar 29 by the operator will rotate the wringer about pivot points 41 and 42 to cause the release of pressure on the rolls in the manner described hereinbefore.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected without departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the present invention.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property or privilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. In a wringer assembly embodying instinctive pressure release means,

a frame,

a pair of rolls in said frame,

pressure means to apply and maintain pressure on said rolls, said pressure means having a pressure application position and a pressure released position,

a wringer gear head secured to said frame to pivot therewith as a unit,

a wringer supporting post extending to a point in proximity with said wringer gear head,

pivot means having only a single pivotal axis paralleling the axes of said rolls and connecting said wringer gear head to said wringer supporting post at said point of proximity for pivotal movement of said frame and wringer gear head about said pivotal axis relatively to said wringer supporting post, and

release means associated with said wringer gear head and wringer supporting post and connected with said pressure means to move said pressure means from said pressure application position to said pressure released position in response to a pivoting of said frame and said wringer gear head about said pivotal axis.

2. The wringer assembly of claim 1, wherein there is a supporting head at the top of said wringer supporting post, and said pivot means are carried by said supporting head.

3. The wringer assembly of claim 1, wherein said wringer assembly further includes oppositely projecting drain boards and wherein said pivot means are in the plane defined by the axes of said rolls and disposed at such distance from the nip of said rolls so that the same amount of force is required to pivot said frame when said force is applied horizontally through the nip of said rolls or downwardly in a vertical direction on the outermost edges of said drain boards.

4. The wringer assembly of claim 1, in which said release means includes:

an intermediately pivoted lever having oppositely disposed first and second ends,

a member connecting said first end of said lever to said pressure means, and

a spring acting upon said second end of said lever, which spring is of suflicient strength to move said pressure means to pressure released position upon pivotal movement of said frame and said wringer gear head about said pivotal axis.

5. The wringer assembly of claim 4, including spring biased means restraining movement of said lever but responsive to a pivoting of said frame and said wringer gear head to free said lever.

6. The wringer assembly of claim 5, including means forming opposite faces on said wringer gear head,

pivoted members abutting said opposite faces under pressure from said spring biased means to maintain said frame in operating position during use of said wringer assembly.

7. The wringer assembly of claim 1, including latch means restraining said release means,

a pair of pivoted L-shaped levers each having a first arm thereof abutting a face of said wringer gear head opposite to that face abutted by the first arm of the other L-shaped lever,

the other arms of said levers being positioned laterally adjacent each other, and

means on one of said other arms to actuate said latch means.

8. The wringer assembly of claim 7, including a spring having predetermined spring constant and acting on said latch means and said L-shaped levers to stabilize said wringer assembly in an upright position during operation and to predetermine the amount of torque necessary to pivot said wringer assembly.

9. The wringer assembly of claim 4, including means forming opposite faces on said wringer gear head,

latch means restraining movement of said lever,

a pair of pivoted L-shaped levers each having a first arm thereof abutting a face of said wringer gear head opposite to that face abutted by the first arm of the other L-shaped lever,

the other arms of said levers being positioned laterally adjacent each other, and

means on one of said other arms cooperating with the other of said other arms to actuate said latch means.

10. The Wringer assembly of claim 1, including means forming opposite faces on said wringer gear head,

latch means restraining said release means,

a pair of bell crank levers having first arms, each of said first arms abutting opposite faces of said Wringer gear head to maintain said frame in an upright position during its operation,

said bell crank lever further including second arms, one of said second arms being engageable with said latch means, and the other of said second arms being engageable with said one of said second arms.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,216,395 10/1940 Kauifman 68-269 X 2,216,399 '10/ 1940 Kautfman 68-263 X 2,216,400 10/1940 Kauifman 68-263 2,332,129 10/1943 Blough 68-249 2,359,834 10/1944 Fields 68-263 X 2,595,147 4/1952 Kauifman 68-263 X 3,216,228 11/1965 Conlee 68-256 3,295,341 1/1967 Cuthbert et a1. 68-256 LOUIS O. MAASSEL, Primary Examiner. 

